Apparatus for handling fluorescent lamp tubes and the like



June 21, 1966 s. B. LANE 3,257,140

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FLUORESCENT LAMP TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheer. 1

INVENTOR.

BLAIR and BUCKLES ATTORNEYS.

S. B. LANE June 21, 1966 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FLUORESCENT LAMP TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR SAMUEL B. LANE BLAIR and BUCKLES ATTORNEYS.

'This invention relates to a device for gripping and handling elongated articles and more particularly to a device for removing defective fluorescent lamp tubes from remote electrical fixtures andinserting replacement tubes in such fixtures.

Several problems have been encountered in prior art apparatus for handling fluorescent light tubes. One of such problems is that rigidly secured gripping jaws on such a device may be partially opened by a slight skewing of the longitudinal axis of the jaws 'to the longitudinal axis of the tube. The lamp tube may not be securely held becauseof such skewing, and in some instances the lamp tube may be broken. 7 In the event that a lamp tube is broken a dangerous situation may be created for the user of uninsulated lamp handling apparatus because of possible contact of the apparatus with exposed electrical terminals in the lamp ends or the sockets. The present invention provides safeguards against the transmission of electrical energy to the operator of the apparatus. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for handling elongated articles such as fluorescent lamp tubes.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above character wherein transmission of electrical shock to the hand of the user of the device is precluded.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above character wherein fluorescent lamp tubes may be handled without danger of breakage of the lamp tube or injury to the user. 1

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

This invention relates particularly to a lamp tube handling device of the type incorporating opposed jaws adapted to releasably grip a lamp tube therebetween and an elongated handle at one end of which the jaws are transversely mounted. The jaws may be disposed and manipulated in the vicinity of remoteelectrical fixtures such as ceiling mounted fixtures, to facilitate the insertion and removal of fluorescent tubes employed in such fixtures.

According to one feature of the present invention, the opposed jaws are mounted at one end of the handle by a coupler member which is fastened to the handle in a position such that a portion of the coupler member extends beyond the one handle end. The jaws are fastened to this coupler member portion so as to space them from the handle end and so that the only connection between the jaws and the handle is through the coupler member. The coupler member and jaw operator assembly are composed at least in part of electrically insulative material to preclude the transmission of electrical energy from the fixture to the hand of the user of the device since the only possible paths of electrical energy transmission from the fixture to the hand of the user are thus electrically insulated, and the present invention may be used without fear of electrical shock.

The coupler member is also mounted at the handle end by means which permit free jointtilting movement of the lengthwise axis of the jaws relative to the handle axis, and coacting means, rigid with the handle and jaws,

, respectively, are provided to limit such tilting movement of the jaws. By the provision of such limited tilting move- United States Patent 3,257,140 Patented June 21, 1966 ment of the jaws relative to the handle, the proper positioning of the jaws relative to the fluorescent tube is greatly facilitated and the danger of the jaws slipping partially off the tube and shattering the latter, or slipping wholly off the tube to drop the latter, are greatly reduced.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lamp tube handling device according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of'the device of FIGURE 1; 2

FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of another embodiment of the lamp tube handling device according to the invention.

Referring first to FIGURES 15, the invention embodiment shown therein, broadly considered, comprises a handle 10, a jaw assembly generally indicated at 12, means generally indicated at 14 mounting the jaw assembly at one end of the handle, and a jaw operator assembly generally indicated at 16. Y

The handle 10, as shown is preferably of the adjustable telescoping type including a lower tubular member 18 telescoping into an upper tubular member 20 and fixed in any of its adjusted positions relativeto the upper member by tightening of the knurled knob 22.

The jaw assembly 12 comprises .a tubular member 24 of substantially square cross section, opposed fixed tube guide members 26 secured as by screws 27 to the front and rear faces respectively of the member. 24 at one end of the latter, similar guide members 28 similarly secured to the other end of the member 24, and relatively movable jaws 30 and 32 secured to the front and rear faces respectively of a central portion of the member 24. The tube engaging portions of the guide members 26 and 28 and of the jaws 30 and 32 are preferably of arcuate shape to conform to the cylindrical surface of the lamp tubes and pads 33 are preferably provided on the inner or gripping surfaces of the jaws 30 and 32 to cushion a lamp tube gripped therebetween.

The jaw assembly mounting means 14 comprises front and rear plates 34 and 36 formed of an electrically insulativematerial. As best seen in FIGURES l and 3, the front and rear mounting plates are secured along their edges, B to the front and rear faces respectively of the central portion of the tubular member 22. The rear mounting plate 36 is sandwiched between a mounting flange 38 of the jaw 32 and the rear face of the tubular member and it, and the jaw 32, are secured to that rear face as by screws 40. The front mounting plate 34 is secured in direct face to face relation to the front face of the tubular member as by screws 42 (FIGURE 1). The jaw 30 is pivotally mounted with respect to the tubular mem ber 24 by hinges 44. The hinges 44 include lower hinge portion 46, secured to the plate 34 and the tubular member 24 as by screws 48 passing through the plate 34 and springs wound around the hinge pins pivotally interconnecting the upper and lower hinge plates. The sides B of the plates 34 and 36 are preferably substantially equal in length to the jaws 30 and 32 so as to be coextensive with the latter.

Still referring to FIGURES 1 and 3, the plates 34 and 36 together with the jaw assembly 12 secured therebetween are mounted on the handle by a bolt 52 through an aperture in the front plate 34 adjacent the lower apex thereof, through diametrically opposed apertures in the handle, and through an aligned aperture adjacent the lower apex of the rear plate 36 to a nut 54 by which it is secured against axial displacement.

The dimensions of the mounting plates 34 and 36 and the location on the handle of the bolt 52 are such that the jaw assembly 12 is substantially spaced from the upper end 56 of the handle.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, a pin 58 is secured as by a screw 60 to the lower face of the tubular member 24 and spaced above the upper end 56 of the handle. The pin 58 abuts at one end against the inner face of the rear mounting plate 36 and projects at its other end through an aperture in the front mounting plate 34. A screw 62 threaded axially into the pin 58 through the rear mounting plate further secures the pin against displacement.

Referring to FIGURES 1-3, it will be seen that the jaw operator assembly 16 comprises a bell crank 64 pivotally mounted in the forked end of the pin 58 as by a pivot pin 66, a first bead chain 68 secured at its opposite ends to movable jaw 30 and to one arm of the bellcrank, respectively, a second bead chain 70 secured at one end to the other arm of the bellcrank and at its other end as by a connector 72 to a cord 74, and a catch plate 76 secured to the front mounting plate 34 by bolts 52 and 78 and having a slot 81 to catch connector 72 as shown in FIG- URES l and 2. The jaw 30 is normally held against the bias of the hinge springs in the open position and is released for gripping movement toward the fixed jaw 32 by a downward pull and release of the cord 74. A link 82 of electrically insulative material such as poreclain is interposed between adjacent beads of the chain 70.

It will be seen that the only connections between the jaw assembly 12 and the handle 10 are through the jaw operating assembly 16 and through the mounting plates 32 and 34. Transmission of electrical energy to the handle through the mounting plates 32 and 34 is however precluded by their insulative composition and through the jaw operator assembly such transmission is precluded by the insulator link 82. The lamp handling device of the invention may therefore be used without fear of shock to the user resulting for example from contact of the jaw assembly with an electrical terminal in a fixture.

The apertures in the handle through which the bolt 52 is passed allow free pivotal movement of the mounting plates and jaw assembly about the axis of the bolt 52. The axis of the bolt 52 is substantially transverse to the axis of the handle and to the longitudinal axis of the jaw assembly so that the aforesaid pivotal movement has the effect of tilting the lengthwise axis of the jaw assembly relative to the handle axis as shown in FIGURE 4. The

bolt 78 passes through plates 34, 36 and through opposedslots 84 (FIGURE 2) in the handle, to a nut 86 by which it is secured against axial displacement. Slot 84 limits the extent of the pivotal or tilting movement of the jaw assembly relative to the handle.

The tilting movement of the jaw assembly relative to the handle facilitates the positioning of the jaw assembly relative to a lamp tube preparatory to gripping the latter and facilitates the necessary manipulation of the gripped lamp to remove the latter from, or insert the latter in,

ing the jaws since the tilting or lost motion between.

the handle and jaws allows the jaws to move slightly relative to the handle rather than relative to the tube.

The lamp tube handling embodiment shown in FIG- URE 6 is similar to the above described embodiment and is adapted to handle fluorescent lamp tubes of the grooved or indented type and for that purpose is provided with a movable jaw 30a having an undulating gripping face 31 complementary to the contour of such grooved tubes. The tube guide members flanking the gripping jaws have not been shown in FIGURE 6. The remainder of the parts may be the same as in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-5 and reference numerals for like parts have been designated with the suffix a.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without depart ing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure my Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for handling lamp tubes or the like comprising an elongated handle member, opposed elongated jaws adapted to grip a lamp tube therebetween, and means mounting said jaws at one end of, and extending length-.

wise in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of, said handle member, the improvement wherein said mounting means comprises (A) a plate member of electrically insulative material,

(B) a pin pivotally mounting said plate member on said handle member with a portion of said plate member extending beyond said handle member end,

(C) means securing said jaws to said plate member portion so that said jaws are spaced from said handle member end,

(D) a slot formed in one of said members and extending in said transverse direction,

(E) and an engaging element carried on the other of said members and slidable in said slot between the opposite ends of the latter to limit the pivotal movement of said jaws relative to said handle member.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said jaws are secured to an elongated operating connector, said connector being made at least in part of electrically insulative material adjacent said jaw members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,323,996 7/1943 Hubbard 29419 X 2,392,865 1/1946 Smith 294-2O 2,427,842 9/1947 Diver 294-20 2,946,615 7/1960 Yawman 29420 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,114,205 12/1955 France.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner. GEORGE E ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR HANDLING LAMP TUBES OR THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE MEMBER, OPPOSED ELONGATED JAWS ADAPTED TO GRIP A LAMP TUBE THEREBETWEEN, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID JAWS AT ONE END OF, AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF, SAID HANDLE MEMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISES (A) A PLATE MEMBER OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATIVE MATERIAL, (B) A PIN PIVOTALLY MOUNTIN GSAID PLATE MEMBER ON SAID HANDLE MEMBER WITH A PORTION OF SAID PLATE MEMBER EXTENDING BEYOND SAID HANDLE MEMBER END, (C) MEANS SECURING SAID JAWS TO SAID PLATE MEMBER PORTION SO THAT SAID JAWS ARE SPACED FROM SAID HANDLE MEMBER END, (D) A SLOT FORMED IN ONE OF SAID MMBERS NAD EXTENDING IN SAID TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, (E) AND AN ENGAGING ELEMENT CARRIED ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS AND SLIDABLE IN SAID SLOT BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE LATTER TO LIMIT THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID JAWS RELATIVE TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER. 